1. Field of the Invention
The subject invention relates to an assembly for blowing liquids from the surface of a vehicle in a car wash.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Assemblies for blowing liquids from a vehicle typically include a support plenum for distributing air and a nozzle system including a nozzle for directing air toward the top of a vehicle. Examples of such assemblies are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,421,102; 5,901,461 and 5,960,564, all in the name of McElroy et al and assigned to the assignee of the subject invention.
Many assemblies include an air delivery conduit interconnecting the plenum and the nozzle system for delivering air from the plenum to the nozzle system while allowing the nozzle system to move in an adjustment direction toward and away from the plenum between various vertical-operating positions. Examples of such systems are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,440,157 to Rousseau and 3,765,104 to Takeuchi. Yet other assemblies rotate the nozzle to different directions as the vehicle moves therepast. Examples of such assemblies are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,279,093 to Dutton; 4,730,401 to Machin; 5,367,739 to Johnson; 5,596,818 to Jones; and 5,749,161 to Jones.
However, todate these features have been mutually exclusive of one another.
The subject invention fills this need and provides an assembly having both features.
The invention provides an assembly for blowing liquids from a vehicle comprising a support plenum for distributing air, a nozzle system including a nozzle for directing air toward the top of a vehicle, and an air delivery conduit interconnecting the plenum and the nozzle system for delivering air from the plenum to the nozzle system while allowing the nozzle system to move in an adjustment direction toward and away from the plenum between various vertical operating positions. The assembly is characterized by a mechanism for moving the nozzle system between the various operating positions and for rotating the nozzle about a nozzle axis extending transversely to the adjustment direction.
Accordingly, the assembly includes a nozzle system that may be moved up and down to accommodate the changing longitudinal configuration of a vehicle and the nozzle may be rotated about the nozzle axis to efficiently direct air against the contour of the vehicle.